Contact Information

Job Responsibilities

Cell and Molecular Biology for Engineers I and II
Computational Genomics

Research Interests

 
I am a broadly-trained molecular evolutionary biologist with a primary interest in exploring the molecular interface between gene and environment at the level of chromosomes.  I often combine comparative genomics/epigenomics with computer simulation to identify where natural selection has acted upon the DNA-protein interaction and DNA self interaction in the chromosome. Transcriptional gene regulation is undoubtedly a primary target of adaptive evolutionary changes in phenotype. However, molecular mechanisms governing eukaryotic gene regulation in chromatin are only now becoming understood. This is not due to lack of interest on the part of biologists, but rather to a lack of a clearly defined functional organization in regulatory sequences themselves, making it difficult to predict the effects of single mutation events on regulatory function using bioinformatics alone.  To overcome this, I employ biophysical models of DNA-protein interaction and DNA flexibility within the context of traditional molecular evolutionary methods. I have also recently become very interested in how various types of molecular-based information that must be contained in any genome (i.e. genetic, regulatory and architectural information) are all multiplexed within the nucleobase sequence and sugar-phosphate backbone dynamics of DNA. I am particularly interested in discovering how comparative mutational patterns may reveal the functional trade-offs that must occur when one type of information is locally more important than the others. My long-term research goal is a more biophysically-grounded understanding of the functional evolution of the interactions between gene regulatory proteins, chromatin architectural proteins (e.g. histones) and DNA within the chromosome.
 

Selected Publications

 
Link to my publications on PubMed         
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Babbitt+GA
 
Papers not databased at PubMed are listed below
 
Ryen E. Babbitt C.W. Tyler A.C. Babbitt G.A. 2013.  Community Ecology Perspectives on the Structural and Functional Evolution of Consumer Electronics. in press JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY.
 
Trotta V. Cavicchi S.  Guerra D. Andersen D.H. Babbitt G.A.Kristensen T.N. Pedersen K.S. Loeschcke V. Pertoldi C. 2011.  Allometric and non-allometric consequences of inbreeding on Drosophila melanogaster wings. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 102:626-634.
 
Babbitt G.A. 2011. Chromatin Evolving. Despite our long familiarity with the chromosome, much about its function and evolution remains a mystery.  AMERICAN SCIENTIST 99(1): 48-55.  (Cover Feature Article) reprinted in INVESTIGACION Y CIENCIA (Spanish language edition of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN)
 
Babbitt G.A. and Frederick P.C. 2007.  Selection for bill dimorphism in ibises: an evaluation of hypotheses.  WATERBIRDS.  30: 199-206.
 
Babbitt G.A. 1996. The effect of collection size on reproduction in captive Caribbean flamingos: direct stimulation, social facilitation or random chance?  Proceedings of the AZA Western Regional Conference, Denver, CO.
 
Babbitt G.A. 1995.  Seasonality and captive management of the Marabou Stork. Proceedings of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Great Lakes Regional Conference, Louisville, KY. 
 
Burtt E.H., Chow W., and Babbitt G.A. 1991.The occurrence and demography of mites in Tree Swallow, House Wren and Eastern Bluebird nests.In Bird-Parasite Interactions, J.E. Loye and M. Zuk, Eds.  Oxford Ornithology Series, Oxford University Press.